


Fairy Heart

by lordbeatrice



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-18 13:34:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5930320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordbeatrice/pseuds/lordbeatrice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natsu, Gray, Erza and Lucy had been the team that everyone had believed in. The strongest team Fairy Tail had ever produced. </p><p>Until that moment. </p><p>Years pass and Fairy Tail's strongest team is a distant memory. </p><p>Maybe, though, there's a chance. A small chance that it could be what it once was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It ended with...

**Author's Note:**

> **SPOILERS** 
> 
> So this is slightly canon divergent from the current battle for Ishgal in the manga. I'll be using elements from the manga in this story, so if you've only watched the anime, many, many spoilers ahead. 
> 
>  
> 
> Hello! 
> 
> This is a tie in to my other fics 'Blue Skies' and 'Frosch's Day Out', focusing on what Team Natsu have been up to during all of this. I've had it on my mind for a while, but I've been derailed a couple of times by the manga. It's both given me ideas and totally destroyed ideas that I was planning on using, so it's ended up being somewhat canon divergent as a result. 
> 
> Anyway, here's a small offering with more to come. I'll try and update about once a week or so. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The smoke cleared but all Gray could see was the rage that was building at the corner of his eyes.  
  
Zeref was gone. Disappeared. Certainly not defeated. And definitely not dead.  
  
Worse END was standing in front of him, smiling. Wearing the face of his best friend.  
  
_Former_ best friend.  
  
Gray wanted to strangle Natsu, often. It wasn’t news that the two of them didn’t get on, but now, this was betrayal of the highest order. So terrible Gray wasn’t convinced that he could ever forgive it. He stood looking at Natsu's exhausted face and wanted so much to punch it. To never stop punching it. He didn’t. He closed his eyes, folded his arms over his chest and wondered how he was going to move past this.  
  
Worst of all, Natsu seemingly didn’t notice any of it. Definitely not the enraged state that Gray was being consumed by. The one that was burning a hole in his consciousness. Natsu didn't see any of it. Natsu never saw any of it. 

 

******************************************************************************************************************

  
  
Natsu stared forlorn into the distance where Zeref had once stood. Where his _brother_ had once stood. His brother who had just saved him, banishing Acnologia from in front of him. Then Zeref had smiled and disappeared himself.  
  
His head was still spinning, Poluchka’s potion only doing so much at this point. He wasn’t well, but Acnologia had attacked and Natsu was not going to sit back as his fellow dragon slayers were slaughtered. Even if it killed him. Feeling as he did now, it just might.  
  
Looking over he saw Laxus collapsed on the ground. Natsu didn’t know what was wrong, but it was clear he wasn’t well. Freed worriedly fussing over him wasn’t a good sign. Freed worried, but he’d never looked so defeated. As if he’d been constantly worried for a long time and Natsu wondered how long Freed had something to be worried about. Then realised that Laxus was fine, so there wasn’t any need to worry. Gray just looked on, catching Laxus’ eye briefly.  
  
Lucy rushed over, helping Freed check over Laxus. Helping to lift him and directing him to the infirmary in Fairy Tail. Laxus nodded at Natsu on his way past. There were no words needed, just the mutual understanding that they had both done what was needed.  
  
Natsu knew then what he needed. He needed answers and he needed his brother.

 

********************************************************************************************************************

  
  
Erza was nursing her wounds. As soon as she’d heard about Acnologia’s attack she’d rushed back from Hargeon with Charles. She’d helped fight but sustained a slash across her ribs as a result. She watched over them all, as she slowly wrapped her torso, stemming the blood flow from Acnologia’s claws. She might not have been a dragon slayer but she’d fight anything to help her friends.  
  
Sighing, she mused over their inability to kill Acnologia. To prevent him from ever hurting the people that she loved. She had no concerns for her own safety, but her stomach turned at the thought of her family being hurt. White hot rage burned within her at the idea that she couldn’t do anything to prevent it. That her own abilities had done nothing to stop the monster that had stood before them.  
  
Erza Scarlet felt powerless for the first time since she was a child and she didn’t like the sensation at all.

 

*********************************************************************************************************************  
  


Freed whispered something to Lucy, before she handed Laxus’ entire weight onto him and headed back towards the others. Her arms hanging limply by her sides. Exhausted by the revelations and promises of the last day.  
  
Lucy had a new sense of purpose though and now she knew what she needed. What she’d needed all this time was to find something that was hers. That had always been hers. No matter how much it had hurt. It had hurt too. She’d remembered all the accidental times she’d been caught in the crossfire and it brought a smile to her face.  
  
A smile that was a steep contrast to the mood around her. She knew Gray was angry. She knew Natsu was hopeful. She knew Erza was disappointed in herself. Lucy could see it all now and wondered when this had become the four of them. When they’d become so defeated at the end of what was a success. They’d stopped the invasion. Stopped Zeref’s followers.  
  
Still, both Acnologia and Zeref were out there.  
  
Standing between the four of them.

 

*********************************************************************************************************************

  
  
There were many assumptions made about what had ripped them apart. It was the only topic of conversation in the guild for months after the event. The continuous question of what had happened. The explosive nature that engulfed them so that they could no longer stand to work together. That only such a cataclysmic event would have the power to drive the four of them so far apart.  
  
Unbeknownst to them, Erza, Natsu, Lucy and Gray drifted apart with a whisper.  
  
There was no explosion to be heard.  
  



	2. A New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Natsu are settling into to their new routine. 
> 
> Gray's taking jobs with Juvia. 
> 
> Natsu's tied up in a forest. 
> 
> Erza's training every hour of every day. 
> 
> Lucy's writing home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> So, chapter two! We're taking a brief look into what each of them are up to now that they aren't working together. We're now a few weeks after the Battle of Ishgal and there's some teething problems with the new situation. 
> 
> Again, spoilers for the current manga storyline. So if you've only watched the anime, be warned. 
> 
> Many, many thanks to everyone who's read and left kudos! It's very much appreciated, and I hope this chapter has been worth the wait.

A magic bullet shot passed Gray’s head.  
  
Leaping to the side, he swore. This job was supposed to be simple. An easy one to try out this new partnership he’d found himself in.  
  
He wasn’t supposed to end up surrounded by twenty members of a dark guild, who had decided that this town was now theirs to control. If he’d known he would have brought someone else along. Someone other than just Juvia.  
  
It wasn’t that he didn’t think she was capable. It was more… he wasn’t confident in his own ability. Not with her around. Juvia had too much faith in him for him to believe in himself. His only confidence in this all, was that he wasn’t ever going to be the man she thought he was.  
  
Another magic bullet raced towards him, this time scraping his arm. He clasped it quickly, icing it over to stem the blood flow and cursing himself.  
  
He was better than this. But his mind wasn’t in it.  
  
Always occupied by too many other thoughts.  
  
Natsu.  
  
Zeref.  
  
Natsu and Zeref.  
  
The thought of it still made his blood boil, weeks later. He knew the idiot had been trying to find his murderous, psychopath of a creator. Gray had no idea why, but he supposed if he’d found out that he was in fact a four hundred year old demon, he might have some questions too. Particularly if he had the opportunity to ask the person who’d created him.  
  
Not that that was any excuse. Natsu was still END. There was no escaping that fact and Gray knew all too well what he’d promised he’d do.  
  
He wasn’t sure if that’s why he was angry or not. Angry that Natsu, the idiot that he was would obviously be the most powerful demon that Zeref had ever created or if this made Gray hesitate. He’d been given these powers, the ones that he was currently using to very poor effect to dispatch the mages in front of him, by his father with the promise he’d destroy END.  
  
Destroy Natsu.  
  
Goddamn it all.  
  
Several magic bullets came at him, and he froze them all. This was proving both mind numbingly boring and potentially too life threatening for today. He didn’t want to be here. Didn’t want to be fighting these people.  
  
Bullet.  
  
Freeze.  
  
Bullet.  
  
Freeze.  
  
Bullet.  
  
Freeze.  
  
Gray became more bored with each exchange. A rhythm developing so that he was becoming complacent with it. Enough to let his mind wander. Something he wasn’t at all enthusiastic about.    
  
He’d sent Juvia to evacuate the villages. His power was still a little volatile and he didn’t want to accidentally freeze someone who didn’t deserve it. Juvia was powerful, more than capable of fighting off anyone who might pursue them. He could trust her with that.  
  
So when suddenly the magic bullets stopped firing his way and he saw her running back into the fray, his surprise was evident. Worse still, the small shiver that was running up his spine, making him feel cold for the first time in years. The stillness of his opponents, the exchanged looks, the spell cast before he had a chance to realise what it was.  
  
A bright red blast shot out towards Juvia.  
  
Gray screamed.  
  
Juvia screamed as she was blown apart.  
  
Gray’s vision went white and he swept his arm violently towards his attackers. Freezing them all.  
  
When he opened his eyes again, the village was covered in purple ice and Juvia was lying on the ground with burns covering the left side of her body. Gray ran to her, cursing his earlier relaxed attitude towards the situation.  
  
He shouldn’t have let his guard down. Shouldn’t have assumed that everything would be alright. Shouldn’t have assumed that this would bee like it always had been. Because Juvia wasn’t Erza or Lucy or Natsu.  
  
Not that she should be. Not that he wanted her to be.  
  
When Juvia woke up after the town’s healer had seen to her, Gray still had the memory of the thought of her lying injured because of his mistake. He knew he was being unfair when he told her that his life was not more important than hers, and to never, ever put it above hers.  
  
Even with her agreement, Gray knew that it was a promise that she’d never be able to keep.  
  
He was disappointed.  
  
Disappointed because he knew that a man who was seriously considering murdering his best friend didn’t deserve such loyalty.  


 

  
  
***********************************************************************************

 

  
  
‘Happy?’  
  
‘Aye, Natsu?’  
  
‘We’re in a bit of a bind aren’t we?’  
  
‘Aye,’ Happy sighed.  
  
They were currently hanging upside down from a tree in the middle of the forest. A part of a genius plan to take down the band of thieves that was attacking travellers between Magnolia and Hargeon.  
  
It wasn’t what Natsu wanted to be doing. He wanted to be out searching for his brother. There were so many questions that he had, too many. He needed to know what had happened to him to make him so evil.  
  
Natsu needed to know what had happened in the last four hundred years that might have turned his brother into the monster Zeref. It wasn’t like he started out that way, Natsu assumed. Natsu didn’t feel evil and he was sure that Zeref wasn’t either. That it was a misunderstanding, no matter what he’d done to Fairy Tail and to Ishgal, there was some good in him.  
  
Good because this had all been part of a plan to save the world from Acnologia. A plan which involved saving the world, obviously meant that the person behind it couldn’t be evil. It just didn’t make sense. Natsu didn’t care what everyone was saying, he was going to find out the truth. Find his brother and fix it all.  
  
Stop the whispers that had echoed through his mind since the end of the battle. He had been particularly nasty to Laxus after it all. The advice Laxus had offered had seemed so hollow, after all, Laxus was one of the few people who knew the truth. The only one who’d been able to look at him the same after it all.  
  
He huffed, shooting a small breath of fire.  
  
‘JET! DROY!’  
  
This had been their brilliant plan to catch the robbers, use Natsu as bait. Have him trussed up and then when the robbers came to see what had happened and try to rob him, Jet and Droy would swoop in and save him.  
  
Only that had been three hours ago and Natsu was bored.  
  
He wanted a fight. Wanted to let out some of the inferno blazing within him. Porlyusica had even recommended it. Stop that magic tumour from growing anymore than it already had.  
  
He wasn’t concerned about it. Still the presence of it made him slightly more anxious than he would be to find his brother.  
  
Speaking of brothers.  
  
‘JET! DROY!’ Natsu called again.  
  
‘I don’t think they’re coming,’ Happy lamented  
  
‘How are we going to get down then?’ Natsu cried.  
  
Happy shrugged as best he could, given the restraints. Natsu growled.  
  
‘JET! DROY!’  
  
Silence was the only answer he got. The reason why Gajeel had teamed up with Levy was suddenly making so much sense. Natsu should have trussed them up, rather than the other way around.  
  
Suddenly there was a rustle in the bushes, footsteps heading their way and Natsu was overjoyed.  
  
Until he saw what had happened.  
  
Jet and Droy was being frog marched by four large, burly robbers. The leader of the gang leering at the sight of Natsu and Happy trussed up. Turning to Jet, he spoke.  
  
‘These them?’ he asked.  
  
Jet, tears streaming down his face, nodded.  
  
‘NATSU! Save us!’ Droy called, only to get a quick kick to his stomach.  
  
Natsu saw red.  
  
Then brown as he hit the ground. His anger burning through the ropes and landing him on his head, in the dirt.  
  
The laughter was loud, but he simply stood up, brushed himself off and promised that he and Happy would be in charge of planning the future jobs.  
  
The two of them could do anything. Including finding his brother. Definitely saving the world.  


 

  
  
************************************************************************************

 

  
  
Erza hit the ground, a sharp pain in her back as she did. The stitches in her side pulling but getting up she ignored them and lunged for her opponent.  
  
They parried forward, and she blocked quickly with her sword. Only to nearly be hit with the burst of magic that was shot in that moment. Turning round, she drew another sword, her lunges faster and more deadly than before, and in too short a time, she had disarmed her opponent.  
  
Knocking their feet out from under them, she towered over, swords in both hands, breathing heavily.  
  
‘Concede?’ she asked.  
  
‘Yeah,’ Freed breathed.  
  
‘Good,’ Erza nodded, ‘Let’s go again.’  
  
‘Erza…’ Freed began.  
  
‘Again.’  
  
Standing up, he shook his head. Stretching a little, he looked at her as if trying to figure out something. Erza put away her second sword, and stood en garde waiting. Freed picked up his sword and lunged for her.  
  
She parried and soon flurries of swords clashed and echoed, as they fought their way around the clearing they’re in. Freed more than capable of keeping up with Erza in swordplay and devious enough that he’d catch her off guard regularly. The reason that she’d chosen him for this training exercise.  
  
Lunge.  
  
Parry.  
  
Thrust.  
  
Parry.  
  
Slash.  
  
They danced together, Freed using bursts of magic to keep her from getting complacent. He’d caught her several times, reminding Erza what a powerful mage he was. The pain shooting through her when he’d hit her, was reminiscent of her childhood. So much so, that Erza had been knocked back and tears had pooled in her eyes. Freed, seeing that, had wanted to call off their training then and there. Concern written all over his face.  
  
For the dark nature of his magic, he wasn’t a monster. His sense of justice and chivalry outweighing his need for victory. Even his loyalty to Laxus hadn’t been enough to win over his sense of doing what was right.  
  
Erza wasn’t going to let up. Pain was nothing. A distraction. She needed this. Needed to be stronger, faster, more capable. Needed to be able to protect her friends unequivocally. So that there would never be any question of their lives being safe in her hands.  
  
Each time she knocked Freed down, they started again. It didn’t matter that she was winning every time, because there would be one time that she wouldn’t. Wouldn’t win. And she needed to be able to get past that, when it happened. And it would happen. Had happened. Erza needed to rise above the sensation of losing.  
  
As the sun began to set, the exhaustion was beginning to set in with both of them. Freed’s moves were less precise, more wild. Grasping for whatever edge he might get. He used magic more liberally. Pairing each attack with a spell to trip her up.  
  
Pain flared up each time he got a hit. Her side felt like it had been set on fire, but still she fought on.  
  
Darkness fell and Freed was knocked back into the grass.  
  
‘Again,’ Erza commanded.  
  
Freed got up, shaking the grass off.  
  
‘No more, Erza, not tonight’ he said.  
  
‘Again.’  
  
‘No.’  
  
Erza shot a look at him for that. It wasn’t often that people in Fairy Tail had enough guts to call her out. Gray, usually the only one who called her on it.  
  
Freed was here though, staring at her, his hair wild for the day’s exercise.  
  
‘It’s enough for today. We can pick it up tomorrow.’  
  
Erza sighed.  
  
‘Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry.’  
  
Freed looked at her.  
  
‘Dawn, I’ll be back here.’  
  
Erza nodded, ignoring him as he left.  
  
There were still moves to practise. Routines to go through. Manoeuvres to master.  
  
Dawn was a few hours away and sleep was something that she didn’t need. Not tonight.  


 

  
******************************************************************************

 

  
  
Dear Mum,  
  
    It’s been weeks now since the battle and life isn’t the way it was. I’ve learnt a little bit more about you now and I feel closer to you for it. Though I am ashamed to admit that for a moment, I did wonder whether you’d killed Grammi, after Brandish accused you. I am sorry for that. So sorry. I know you wouldn’t have done anything of the thought, but it’s been so many years since I’ve last seen you that I my memory is fuzzy.  
      
    Fuzzy enough to wonder if you’d done something so heinous.  
      
    Aquarius soon put me right though. I hadn’t realised until she reappeared that I’d missed her so much. In many ways she has been as much my mother as you were. I know you’d approve of that, despite her periodically violent nature, she’s always been by my side and I’m sure that’s what you always intended for the two of us.  
  
    I wonder if it had been different if you’d lived to see what had become of this world. Of Zeref and the dragons. Of the people you gave your life to bring into this world. Whether you’d feel like it was still worth it. Today, I wonder if it was. I think I might have chosen to have you in this world, but I’m feeling selfish now.  
  
    I suppose the idea of dying for someone you love has been on my mind recently. The battle against the Alvarez Empire has been a wake up call for all of us. It’s made us question our paths in this world. There was a big price to pay this time for victory and that’s weighing heavily on us all. The world around us has changed and we need to change with it.  
  
    So that’s what I’m doing.  
  
    Aquarius’ return to our world has given me something to work towards. I have a goal and I’m going to see it through. So we can be together again. Lucy and Aquarius. I look forward to getting caught up in her squalls on a regular basis. I can’t imagine going on without her still in my life. This is what I need and I won’t be deterred from my path.  
  
    I miss you.  
  
    All my love,  
  
    Lucy.  
  
    P.S. Give my love to Dad, I hope the two of you are happy together now.


	3. Tenrou Island Redux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the S-Class trials once again and Lucy, Gray and Natsu are all up for promotion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *peeks out from behind a very large, very sturdy door in assumption of projectiles for taking so long to update*
> 
> So many, many apologies. Life unfortunately got in the way, there's been work to do, people to lend emotional support to, and a general lack of inspiration and motivation on my part. So again, apologies, I meant to have this up much sooner than this, but it never happened. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope this proves to be worthy of the wait. I must have rewritten bits of it a hundred times and I'm hoping it's not as bad as I'm currently concerned it might be. That's what happens when you work on something for weeks and perpetually unhappy with it for most of that time. 
> 
> Once again, thanks so much for reading and leaving kudos. I'll try my hardest to get back to a better update schedule.

Gray groaned. This was exactly what he’d hoped wasn’t going to happen. Even with Juvia at his side, who was always at his side, he wasn’t confident about this. Not confident, was overestimating his feeling about this. 

Mind numbing fear was coming to the front. 

Why on his second attempt to become an S-Class mage did Erza have to be the first obstacle he came up against?

Erza’s eyes were narrowed and Gray knew that even with all their training, there was a good chance that once again he wasn’t going to make it. Maybe if the world wasn’t currently the way it was he might feel more confident about it all. If he hadn’t seen the bruises that Freed regularly came into the guild with. If he hadn’t caught the low whispers between Laxus and the Master. If it wasn’t Erza. 

This Erza. 

Erza had always been terrifying. That was just who she was. But that Erza had been someone that Gray had been able to rely on. Someone that he could turn to if anything went wrong. 

This Erza. 

He wasn’t sure that they’d spoken more than a couple of passing cursory sentences to each other in the years since the Alvarez attack. 

This Erza was like the Erza who’d first arrived at Fairy Tail. The one who didn’t speak. Didn’t interact with the rest of the guild. Who’d sat with a terrifyingly sad look on their face and a determination harder than diamonds at her core. 

One he’d never had to properly go all out against that Erza. 

This Erza had that same sense of determination. The fire in her eyes that Gray had seen directed at their enemies. The one directed at him. Them. 

Still mind numbing fear aside, Gray was determined that Natsu, the useless bastard that he was, wasn’t going to beat him to this. He wasn’t about to lose out to a demon, no matter who that demon may appear to be. 

Nodding at Juvia, they rushed forward. 

Gray darted left, Juvia to the right. 

‘REQUIP’ 

Erza stood before them, Heaven’s Wheel at the ready. 

Gray had expected that. Two enemies, it was a good strategy to disorient them. Numerous projectiles designed to hit a wide area, it made a full frontal assault that much harder. 

Gray was pleased. Pleased to see that the past year hadn’t changed her too much. There’d been rumours of a humanly impossible training program with Freed, but Gray didn’t know what to make of that. Erza had always trained intensely. 

Despite his hesitation, he had a strategy for this. He and Juvia had worked hard on it, knowing that there was a chance that Erza would be the one they ran into. So Juvia ran straight towards Erza’s circle of swords, shooting bullets of water as she went. 

It didn’t help. 

Erza deflected them all with a second thought. 

Every spell that was sent her way she shattered into nothingness. 

That was good. That was part of the plan. 

Because at this moment, Gray was very obviously behaving as if he was leading up to a big spell. Something powerful enough to take Erza out. He could see Erza glancing his way regularly to see what he was up to. 

Exactly as she was supposed to. 

She was meant to be paying too close attention to what he was doing, so that the major blow would surprise Erza when it came from Juvia, which would give Gray an instant to catch Erza off guard. One instant was all they had because this was Erza and he wasn’t going to be confident. Plan or not. 

This was the new Erza after all. 

He couldn’t be too complacent. 

He catches Juvia’s eye and yells. 

‘Hyoma no Zero Hakyu!’ 

His glistening ice bow appears in his hands, as he pulls it back ready to let fly at Erza. 

She turned towards him, changing as she did so. She now stood before him dressed in her Flame Empress Armour, the obvious choice against Gray’s attack. Gray let fly with an arrow as Erza rushed toward it, swinging the lance in front of her as she did. 

The arrow shattered and Erza swung swiftly against the shards to ensure none of them hit her. She destroys the last one, turning as she does, and lets loose a bolt of lightning. 

Gray knew she would requip fast but he wasn’t expecting it to be so instantaneous, Juvia can’t correct in time and she’s caught in the lightning. She shudders a bit and is knocked down. 

With that, Gray lets loose another arrow. Erza turns, looks at the arrow and requips again but she’s too slow and the arrow explodes, several fragments catch her side, throwing her back. 

Gray breathes heavily. 

He won. 

He actually won. 

He won against Erza. 

He looks over to her, a sense of concern washing over him, because no matter what else happens, they’re still guild mates. Erza’s holding her side, and looks back and nods back at him. 

There’s no congratulations as he gathers Juvia up and they head for the next obstacle. 

 

*************************************************************

 

Natsu and Happy walked along the darkened cave. The walls were high and jagged, with small semi-luminescent crystals placed at uneven intervals providing a small amount of light in the space. Too dim was the light and Natsu had lit a fire to help guide the way. The small orange glow, a sharp contrast against the cool aqua glow of the crystals around them. 

The path was narrower than he expected, and he was on his guard for any attack that might come their way. There were small alcoves every now and then and Natsu kept waiting for Erza or Laxus or Gildarts to burst out at him. The fire within him burning an inferno with the anticipation. 

Still he and Happy walked along. And along. And along. 

They’d been walking for a very long time and Natsu was very bored. 

‘Happy,’ he whinged. 

‘Yes, Natsu?’ Happy sighed, the boredom eating at him as well. 

‘I’m bored.’ 

‘Aye.’ 

‘This is boring.’ 

‘Aye.’ 

‘Where’s Gildarts? Or Erza? Or Laxus? I want someone to fight!’ Fire erupting from his nose in annoyance. 

‘Maybe we chose the quiet path?’ 

‘Awww, but I wanted to fight someone. I was finally going to prove that I was tougher than them all. I want to fight someone!’ 

‘Aye.’ 

Both of them sighed. Exhaling, they slumped, dejected, as they walked along. Their shoulders rolled forward, feet scuffing the ground. 

The tunnel was dark, and seemingly endless. If they didn’t find someone to fight soon, there was a disaster likely to happen as Natsu became more and more impatient. Frequent bursts of fire shot out of his mouth and he huffed along. Frustrated. Very, very frustrated. 

Finally he spoke again. 

‘Happy, do think we’ll ever find my brother?’ 

‘I don’t know Natsu,’ Happy replied morosely. 

They’d been looking for a year but as of yet, there was no indication as what might have happened to Zeref. It was as if he’d disappeared. Back four hundred years. Natsu was upset at every dead end. There had been many nights that he’d sat morosely at the thought of never finding his brother. 

‘I want to find him,’ he commented. 

Happy looked at Natsu. He wasn’t as eager to find Zeref as Natsu. The threat of Zeref still one that lingered and Natsu in Fairy Tail’s infirmary, at Zeref’s hands, was an image he’d rather forget. Still he knew that it meant a lot to Natsu, so Happy would do whatever it took to see him reunited with his brother. 

‘We’ll find him,’ Happy answered, confidently. 

‘Yeah?’ Natsu asked, hope lingering in his eyes. 

‘Aye!’ 

‘Yeah! Of course we will. We’ll find him and then we’ll defeat Acnologia and we’ll all be a family.’ 

Natsu didn’t notice as Happy dropped back a little. 

‘All of us?’ Happy asked. 

‘Yeah! He’ll join Fairy Tail, come and live with us. We’ll take jobs together and everything will be great.’ 

‘Great. Aye.’ 

Natsu was too far away at that point to notice the forlorn tone in Happy’s answer. 

Zeref noticed it, watching his brother an the small winged cat he’d adopted from the the shadows. In four hundred years, nothing had changed, Natsu was as sweet and innocent as he’d always been. A sibling who deserved someone other than the old brother that he got. A sibling who believed the world would forgive Zeref’s sins as readily as he had. 

He’d lingered too long, it was time to let his brother live his life for another day.

Happy felt the fur on the back of his neck stand up a little and turned around searching the cave. Only to catch a glimpse of what he thought was a white tunic disappearing into the dark. 

He blinked a couple of times, but then it wasn’t there. 

‘Happy!’ Natsu called, ‘You’re falling behind. Hurry up.’ 

Happy looked at the space again, before hurrying after Natsu, calling: ‘Aye, sir!’ 

 

*************************************************

 

Erza relaxed back against the cool rock behind her. Her job for the day done, now there was nothing to do but wait for the candidates to finish the trials. She rubbed her side a little. It was still sore, her own fault, she’d cut it too close. Didn’t judge it as well as she should have. 

She’d been training with Freed for the past year. It wasn’t every day as it had been at first, his suggestion not hers. He’d pointed out he had a relationship with Laxus and he’d appreciate having time to dedicate to it. So they’d cut it down to three nights a week. 

When she was in Magnolia. 

Erza had taken harder jobs. Testing her limits. Or trying to, even the S-Class board was becoming a little too predictable for her. So when she wasn’t training with Freed, or on a job, she was training with Crime Sorciere. 

Jellal didn’t ask why she needed the extra training, he simply worked with her. Testing her responses, pushing her to faster, more accurate, more deadly. Making her the mage she needed to be.

She smiled at the thought of working with him so often. There had been a time in her life where the very thought of him had been far too painful to even consider, now they were working together like old friends. Exactly what they were. 

There was some disappointment for Erza in that. She’d hoped that there might have been something more between the two of them, but as time went on, that simply faded more and more until it was barely there. The longer they spent together, the more their friendship flourished and Erza found herself treasuring that far more than anything else they’d had together. 

It wasn’t that she no longer dreamed of a happy ending or a normal life. All those years locked in the tower she dreamed of a small house in the country with Jellal. Their children playing in the garden. 

Erza didn’t dream of those things any more. 

She dreamt of keeping her family safe. Of ensuring that no one else was hurt by people that might attack them. Their enemies’ defeat at her hand, as she watched the people around her, happy and safe. 

Her own happiness long forgotten. 

When Laxus came up behind her, she barely acknowledged his presence. Leaning back and closing her eyes, as the sun began to set on Tenrou Island. 

‘Long day?’ he asked, sitting down beside her. 

‘Something like that,’ she answered. 

‘Who’d you get?’ 

‘Gray and Juvia. You?’ 

‘Levy and Gajeel.’ 

‘How’d they do?’ 

Laxus grimaced. 

‘They didn’t get past me, however I was tempted to forfeit before they reached me, I’m not sure I’ve heard anything so tortuous as Gajeel’s love songs. I’m not sure how Levy puts up with it.’ 

Erza smiled. 

‘I think it’s sweet that he does those sort of things for her. Most men wouldn’t.’ 

‘You always were a hopeless romantic.’ Laxus teased. 

‘There’s nothing wrong with that,’ she replied, looking out to the ocean. 

‘Never said there was, merely saying that it’s nice to know that side of you exists. I’m sure the Titania facade weighs heavily on you.’ 

‘I manage.’ 

‘Never said you didn’t. Just remember it doesn’t always fall on you to keep us safe.’ 

Erza turned to look at him, as he continued to look out at the ocean. 

‘How did you know?’ 

‘I’ve known you a long time Erza, while we haven’t always been close, I do know something about you. Plus you’ve stolen the love of my life from my side to train with you, it doesn’t take a genius to see what you were doing.’ 

‘Are you going to stop me?’ she asked. 

Laxus shook his head. 

‘Nah, not my place. If that’s what you need, then go for it.’ 

‘This isn’t an intervention?’ 

‘Simply an offer of help.’ 

Erza nodded. 

‘I might just take you up on that.’ 

‘I can’t wait.’ 

With a sense of understanding, they both leant back against the cool rock and watched the bright orange sky melt into the ocean. 

 

**************************************************************

 

‘Lucy, my love, why don’t we rest, have a picnic?’ Loke offered, an elaborate picnic spread out in amongst the grove of trees to their right. A soft light spilling down upon it. 

‘No, we have to get there before the others.’ 

‘I’m sure we’ll make good time, I mean we did quite well against Mira.’ 

Lucy thought back on it. She wasn’t confident that they’d be able to surpass Mira, it was Mira after all, but she’d come a long way with her abilities in the last few years and Lucy was determined to put up a good fight. It might have been a bit unfair to overcome Mira with Lucy, Loke, Virgo, Taurus and Gemini, but there was nothing in the rules against Lucy’s summoning as many spirits as she needed to overcome the challenges. 

So despite a battering from Mira, they’d managed to pass through. Loke proving an invaluable ally, as Lucy knew he’d always be. Of her celestial spirits, Loke was always the most loyal and he’d taken many of the shots from Mira today without complaint. When the others had called it quits, their power drained, Loke was there at her side. 

He’d even manifested here of his own magic, so as not to deplete Lucy’s for the trial. 

She felt guilty that she’d been so focused on finding Aquarius for the last year. That her goal had been so singular, when she was surrounded by other spirits, who deserved the same devotion from her as she’d been shown. 

She wasn’t about to give up on Aquarius, but she was going to do it differently. Use this time to strengthen the bonds she shared with the other spirits. Today they’d proven how strong they could be when they worked together. 

It might ease the loneliness that was clawing at her soul. The last year had been too reminiscent of the year after Tartaros, only so much worse. 

Because this time she knew exactly where Natsu and Happy were. Where Gray and Erza were. She saw them regularly, but there was nothing to be said. It was if they didn’t exist. 

And that hurt more than she physically thought it could. 

So she strode forward determined, because this was the first step. The first step in becoming the person she always should have been. A mage who could hold her own with Fairy Tail’s best, who wasn’t the butt of jokes or the dominatrix cheerleader or any of the other things that she’d been called. 

That she could stand on equal ground with her friends. The ones that ignored her. Walked in front of her, never looking back. She’d show them. Show them that she wasn’t about to be left behind. That she had her own well deserved place. Her own purpose. 

She’d find Aquarius’ key on her own. She’d travel to the ends of the earth if that’s what it took. She’d battle monsters and dark guilds. She’d be tired and worn out and keep moving. She would return to Fairy Tail triumphant. 

It wouldn’t matter that she’d made no progress in the last year, because once upon a time, she’d been part of the strongest team in Fairy Tail. It might not exist anymore but Lucy would be sure that she’d earn her place there. 

Striding forward, she didn’t notice the smile that lit up Loke’s face when he looked at her. Delighted at what he saw in her in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The spell that Gray casts in this chapter is the one for his Ice Devil's Zeroth Destruction Bow. I chose not to write it in English because it sounds cooler when it's written in Japanese. 
> 
> Again, many, many, many apologies for the late update.


End file.
